From next month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will create a database of diabetes patients at civic hospitals and send them SMS advisories to cope with the chronic illness. HT reports.

From next month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will create a database of diabetes patients at civic hospitals and send them SMS advisories to cope with the chronic illness.

The software, to be launched in a few weeks, will also track developments in the patient’s health, said Manisha Mhaiskar, additional commissioner, BMC.

At present, there are about 10,000 patients, diagnosed with diabetes, pre-diabetes or borderline diabetes, who are being treated at BMC dispensaries, peripheral hospitals or major hospitals.

“We want to track our out-patients all their lives. They should be able to manage this disease without facing complications such as diabetic foot. This system of alerts will work as an effective tool to manage the disease,” said Mhaiskar.

Patients will get advisories regarding taking medicines regularly, lifestyle changes to include healthy food habits and exercise, and follow-ups with doctors. The patient will be sent SMSes in a language of their choice, that is, English, Hindi or Marathi.

“Depending on the severity of the disease—pre-diabetes, diabetes on medication or insulin-dependent—we will increase the frequency of messages sent,” added Mhaiskar.

In February, the BMC will also inaugurate the second Gene-Xpert that helps detect drug-resistant tuberculosis in less than two hours, at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi. The first one was installed at Urban Health Centre, Dharavi, last year in March.

“We will also launch our second Directly Observed Treatment Shortcourse (DOTS) plus site for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis in the same hospital. This will be a day-care centre, unlike the Sewree TB Hospital where patients are admitted for seven days,” said Mhaiskar.

The BMC will also allocate 75 beds for chemotherapy patients, both adult and pediatric, at BYL Nair Hospital, Bombay Central, next month. “We are also roping in doctors from Tata Memorial Hospital to train our doctors in administering chemotherapy,” said Mhaiskar. The hospital will also procure Linear Accelerator to administer targeted radiation therapy for cancer patients.